## Site Description

A 10-floor residential building is located at a crossroad in the heart of the old parklands of Northern Tehran (Shemiran), within walking distance of the Tajrish, bazaar. This area was used in the past as Yeylagh, an ancient transhumance yearly practice moving into cooler and higher areas during the hot summer months. The area was known for its sprawling princely gardens at the foothills of the towering Alborz Mountains. Today, with the growth and expansion of the city, towers have arisen and the neighborhood has transformed into one of Tehran most sought-after residential address. 



## Problematic  History

The building is designed for luxurious family and hospitality living while remaining faithful to the age-old concept of Persian architecture, namely the private/inner chambers called “Andarouni” and the public/outer halls of the “Birouni.” The building consists of one 650m2 5bedrooms Penthouse unit, a three 3/4-bedroom Duplexes units, each 430m2 and six 410m2 with 3/4-bedroom mono-level apartments unrivalled elegance. Each apartment unit is allocation of 3 indoor parking spaces. All the apartments enjoy a large living room, dining room and TV room with an abundance of natural light flow throughout the apartments.




##  Inspiration

Our design is driven by the belief that the quality of the surroundings directly impacts the quality of life. We believe that design should permeate all aspects of the building from the exterior, the lobby the common areas and within all apartments.

Inspired by Iran's rich and ancient culture, it incorporates color and material to achieve the elegance associated with the combination of tradition and modernity. Luxury is achieved by providing esoteric beauty, the finest of qualities and most importantly, tranquility and ease of living in an urban setting.  This building is a Firouz Firouz signatory design residence building, where both the spirit of harmony the feeling of peace coexists as a modern relic of Elayieh’s charming gardens history.




## New Concept, System and Method

The Kouhyar façade mirrors the rich color pallet of Persian rugs by mixing the bleus, reds, yellow and greens transforming the building into a joyful and inviting residence. The exterior façade is punctuated and set back to allow a floral ribbon of greenery in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. A large private Eyvan (Iwan/Terrace) graces all units, bestowing upon them the sensory experience of Tehran’s well-defined four seasons.


Continuing the garden traditions of the neighbourhood, the Kuhyar building shares its green space with the city landscape, thereby showing a generosity of spirit, by creating a magnificent drive-in “carriage” courtyard entrance, allowing the sound of a water cascade, the aroma of flowers and two Cypresses to greet you into a warm and panoramic lobby.

Firouz Firouz’s well-known style and reputation for fine craftsmanship and finishing bestows a sense of well-being and comfort to the interior spaces, again combining colors and textures.

At the entrance level the residence features a unique pool spa area (encompassing a swimming pool, a massage room and saunas) flanked by a lush and naturally colorful private garden so rarely seen in Tehran, as well as a spacious fitness center again with its own private garden.



The landscape strategy in Kuhyar Residence offers a reinterpretation of traditional Persian garden principles within the context of a vertical, urban apartment building. Rather than limiting greenery to the ground or rooftop, the design introduces a continuous "green ribbon" that flows from the entrance courtyard, climbs the recessed terraces, and culminates in a rooftop garden.

This vertical continuity, together with a drive-in garden courtyard at street level, establishes a generous threshold between the city and the private realm. The landscape becomes an experience—of light, scent, and season—through private terraces, iwan-like balconies, and exclusive green views in the pool and fitness areas.

The result is a rare integration of nature in Tehran’s dense urban fabric, not just as decoration, but as a system of living landscape tied to spatial identity, environmental quality, and sensory well-being.




## New Elements, Objects, Tools

At Kuhyar Residence, materials are curated to evoke cultural memory, tactility, and timeless elegance. In the pool area, bespoke hand-painted glazed tiles by a renowned Iranian artist depict iconic Iranian landscapes—from Mount Damavand to Tehran’s historic symbols—transforming the space into a visual and sensory experience.

The façade features metal louvers, not wood, adding a contemporary character while regulating light and privacy. Shades of deep blue, basalt stone flooring in the parking, bronze detailing in elevators, and a refined mix of granite and wood in the lobby elevate the material quality throughout the building.

A highlight of the interior is the 100 m² lobby, inspired by traditional Iranian craftsmanship. It incorporates mirror mosaic (ayeneh-kari) and delicate plasterwork (gach-kari) in combination with colored glass motifs from Shiraz. These elements create a warm, welcoming atmosphere with a sense of visual richness and cultural continuity.



## Culture Improvement

At Kuhyar Residence, the architectural design goes beyond aesthetics and function—it embodies a responsibility toward enhancing the quality of life. Rooted in the belief that the built environment deeply influences human well-being, the project emphasizes comfort, natural light, green integration, and emotional connection to space.

The design reinterprets traditional Iranian living patterns in a contemporary form, offering spaces that support family cohesion, privacy, tranquility, and cultural continuity. Every detail—from natural ventilation and views to serene lobbies and wellness amenities—is crafted to improve daily life.

In a fast-changing and high-density urban context like Tehran, Kuhyar serves as a model for how architecture can offer both physical and emotional refuge, reconnecting residents with nature, beauty, and a sense of belonging.




## Scale to Consider

The design of the Kuhyar Residence considers multiple scales—from the intimate scale of family life to the larger urban context of modern and densely built Elahiyeh. Set within a contemporary high-density neighborhood, the project consciously redefines the relationship between residents and their environment through a focus on spatial quality, greenery, and light. Features like green terraces, iwans, and generous natural lighting provide a layered experience that enhances everyday living across all scales.


Principal Artchitect

Project Manager

Project Team

Developer

Structural Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Completed

Plaque 18

Residential

Tiles


Building No. 23 is an apartment in Mahmoudieh district of Tehran, which was designed in 2014 and its construction was completed in 2018. The overall volume of the building - which is the common cube in the typology of Tehran apartments - is a brick volume, which here with soft lines on the façade and curved surfaces in the corners, establishes a different dialogue with the city.

The architectural idea here goes beyond a single idea based on form or function. In fact, it is a collection of ideas based on an insight derived from the attention to the characteristics of Iranian culture and art, which has been used to create a human architecture in connection with the original qualities of the architecture of this land. The qualities that result from the result of color and materials, light and shadow, spatial connection, harmony, harmony and principles of coexistence between man and nature: brick, turquoise, plant, stone, tile, pattern, color, movement, space, sense, stillness, Watching, inside, outside, silence, sky, light, shadow, purity... and how the combination of these words creates an architectural language to create a living space.



Designing Plaque 23 involved navigating a complex set of expectations: to deliver a high-end residential building that simultaneously responds to Tehran’s chaotic public realm. While the project was commissioned as a private development, it was also implicitly tasked with engaging the city, contributing to the street, and embodying collective identity—all within the constraints of a limited urban plot, tight budget, and regulatory restrictions.

The client’s vision extended beyond conventional residential needs, seeking architectural presence, spatial poetry, and cultural resonance. Balancing artistic ambition with pragmatic demands required constant negotiation, iteration, and a commitment to architectural integrity. Ultimately, the project stands as a response to the unspoken demand for meaning, calm, and public connection in a city that often lacks all three.





The main volume of the building is placed on a base that forms the volume of the ground floor. The ground floor includes the entrance area, lobby, swimming pool and gym. On this floor, direct access to the courtyard, common spaces and apartment units has been created. The pool area floats somewhere between the inside and outside of the building. Light, view and color are the main ingredients of this space.

In conversation with the street, the volume of the ground floor retreats from the main volume and establishes a relationship with the city through the curved brick surface of the surrounding wall. The connection between the main entrance and the street is defined by creating an empty space as an extension of the city in the project land, which is also an accessible space for riding. The red colored brick on the ground floor and in the façade openings, where the transparency, light and suspension between inside and outside create a different quality of spatial communication, have been replaced by turquoise glazed brick. In the walls, giving the third dimension to the openings and turning them into a middle space, continuous porches have been created which, with the edges of green plants, strengthen the depth and quality of the connection between inside and outside.


A longitudinal axis in the plan defines the view and connection between the interior spaces of each apartment. This interface space, whose main function is to pass, has created a connection between different spaces with different sizes and functions. It is through this central space that the internal and external views and the separation of public and private spaces of the house are controlled.



An effort has been made to make the building, instead of being an expression of architecture, a space for human expression; for the presence of man, and his connection with man, with the city and with nature; And let it be an opportunity mixed with a sense of familiarity and fantasy in the space of home as a space of peace, happiness and life.

Plaque 23 explores architecture through multiple layers of scale—each carefully considered to create a meaningful dialogue between the building, its users, and the city.

At the urban scale, the project steps back from the street, using a curved brick wall to establish a gentle, respectful connection with Tehran’s public realm.
At the architectural scale, soft edges and volumetric clarity define the building’s presence and rhythm.
At the threshold scale, the recessed ground floor becomes a mediating space between city and home, offering a moment of transition and openness.
At the human scale, handcrafted materials—curved bricks, turquoise-glazed tiles, wood joinery—invite touch, texture, and intimacy.
At the residential scale, a linear axis organizes spatial relationships within each apartment, enhancing flow and privacy.
And at the poetic scale, architecture becomes a canvas for memory, color, and light—drawing from Persian culture to create a place of calm, beauty, and rooted identity.

In Plaque 23, scale is not simply a matter of measurement—it is a design tool to shape experience, evoke emotion, and bring architecture into harmony with its cultural and physical context.



Principal Architect

Plaque 23

Damavand Garden is located in the village of Ahmadabad, a district of Damavand in eastern Tehran, nestled in the scenic foothills of the Alborz mountains. Situated in a region known for its fresh, cool climate, the property is a garden villa with an approximate area of 8,000 square meters. In the past, the garden encompassed a larger area, part of which was later separated and transferred to another owner. The restoration of the property was entrusted to the office of Firooz Firooz and Associates in the autumn of 2010, and was completed in the autumn of 2012.
The central design approach for this project was to restore the site with minimal intervention while enriching the meaning and experience of the owner’s summer retreat. The placement of the existing facilities and buildings within the garden was largely preserved, while select structures were optimized according to the renovation plan to enhance their functionality. This strategy—balancing preservation with refinement—was driven by the intent to heighten the nostalgic and pleasurable qualities of the space for the owner.

On the western edge of the property, a triangular configuration of the main house (228 sqm, two stories), the guesthouse (56 sqm), and the swimming pool had already existed. This arrangement held a strong latent potential to foster a sense of gathering and create memorable perspectives. With carefully designed lighting, paving, and spatial axes, the area was reimagined as a dynamic setting—capable of bringing family members together throughout the day for meals, relaxation, and shared leisure.

The Damavand Garden is structured around a principal longitudinal axis that links the eastern and western entrances, establishing the garden’s primary organizational framework. This central axis ensures spatial coherence and internal unity throughout the site.

The western entrance, historically used for vehicular access, has been reconfigured as a private pedestrian entry. Upon entering from this gate, visitors encounter a terrace framed by the main building, a mature plane tree, and the reflecting pool. Positioned at the highest point of the garden, this terrace constitutes the most private area and offers panoramic views over the entire landscape. This initial vantage point shapes the first perception of the garden as a unified spatial entity.

From this terrace, descending along the main axis provides a sequential spatial experience, as one moves through the fruit plots, engaging directly with the garden’s interior spaces. This pathway culminates at the eastern entrance, which accommodates both vehicular and pedestrian access, marking the transition between the garden’s private and public zones.

Two secondary north-south paths intersect the main axis, providing access to ancillary structures and support facilities, including the caretaker’s house, greenhouse, and parking areas. These pathways enhance functional connectivity while preserving the overall compositional integrity of the garden.

As Michel Foucault rightly states: “The historical Iranian garden was a sacred space, encompassing the four corners of the world within its quadrilateral layout, along with a more sacred central area that served as the focal point of the universe—where the pond and water channels converged All the plants in the garden benefited equally from this ‘microcosm’ of the world.”

In Etemad garden, a square-shaped pond is located along the main axis at the center of the garden, defining a small spatial zone around itself. This pond, considered the “eye of God” within the garden, symbolically represents water and reflects the deep Iranian reverence for it, as well as their enduring admiration and love. Moreover, the water system is performing multiple functions simultaneously: supplying water to different parts of the garden, irrigating plants, displaying water, and moderating the microclimate. In this system, the “juy” (water channels) play a prominent role. Flowing along pathways and at the base of trees, these channels both distribute and guide water and present it in visually appealing ways. In Damavand Garden, traditional Iranian irrigation methods are employed: the garden beds are irrigated using the flood irrigation technique, while along the main axis, water flows continuously at the base of the trees. The view along the main garden avenue—a symmetrical street flanked by two water channels along orderly rows of trees—represents a quintessential Iranian landscape, a pattern still observable in streets and urban spaces across Iran today.


In Damavand Garden, the planting design has been carried out with consideration of the existing trees and buildings, as well as following traditional Iranian garden planting principles. Along the main axis, cypress trees are interspersed among the existing fruit trees to create a symmetrical order and perspective along the axis. In the wider sections of the path, designed for vehicular access, a row of amber trees (Liquidambar) is planted on both sides of the axis, emphasizing the variation in path width, the hierarchy of spaces, and the distinction between more public and more private areas of the garden.
Around the buildings, planting patterns vary according to sightlines, views, and the functional use of space. Given that the main building is not located at the center along the main axis—contrary to the conventional geometry of Iranian gardens—the bed opposite this building contains shorter plants, shrubs, flowers, and groundcovers to preserve the primary view of the veranda. Meanwhile, an old plane tree and a row of Persian maples (Trebizian maples) along the pool establish focus and spatial enclosure, shaping this section of the garden as a coherent unit. Similarly, in front of the secondary building and greenhouse, small beds of vegetables and herbs have been planted, while shrubs like oleander around the caretaker’s house reduce visibility into the private areas of the garden.
Another fundamental principle of planting design in Damavand Garden is color planning and attention to the four seasons, a characteristic of Iranian gardens. Trees and flowers are selected and planted based on flower color, flowering season, fruiting period, autumn foliage color, and whether they are deciduous or evergreen.

The design of Damavand Garden became an occasion to revisit the tradition of Persian garden-making, to explore its inner essence, and to reflect on the values and hidden qualities it embodies.
In a Quadrilateral Layout, Damavand Garden is set on an irregular plot of land stretched along an east–west axis. The boundaries of this terrain are marked by rows of poplar trees planted at its four corners, an allusion to the rectangular form of the Persian garden. This four-sided geometry, regardless of the constraints of topography, environment, or obstacles, defines the essential expanse of the Persian garden and is replicated in its smaller subdivisions as well.

Above all, the quadrilateral represents order. This order symbolizes the presence and mastery of humankind, distinguishing cultivated, re-created nature from the wild and untamed. In Damavand Garden, the emphasis on this form also carries symbolic meaning. The quadrilateral embodies the material and earthly realm and, in Islamic architecture, relates to the element of soil. It is a symbol of “human” and “nature,” standing in contrast to the circle, which signifies the “divine” and “celestial.” This reminds us that the garden is not a fragment of heavenly paradise but a terrestrial one—a piece of nature that sets itself apart from the outside world, seeking its beauty and perfection within.

Etemad Garden

landscape

Renovation

In the north of Iran, this shoreline villa looks out across the Caspian Sea. This location offers the chance to create a space that encompasses the needs of a villa while playing with the standards of building in the humid, northern climate.

The humid and rainy climate of northern Iran required careful attention to ventilation, moisture control, and daylighting. Using a central courtyard in this region, which is uncommon, posed challenges in managing airflow and light penetration. The inverted roof slope, facing inward instead of the traditional outward slope, required careful design to improve sea views and natural light.




The building is oriented so the iwan directly faces the sea. A central courtyard channels the sea breeze into the villa, enhancing natural ventilation. The roof slope was inverted to improve sea views and allow more light. A shallow, private pool, inspired by Japanese onsen and traditional Iranian pools, was integrated into the courtyard.
The project draws from Iranian architecture with a central courtyard while blending Japanese onsen concepts with traditional Iranian pools in the design of the private pool.



The house is situated so that an iwan opens toward the northern sea side. A central courtyard helps pull the sea breeze through the entire home, providing air circulation and cooling during warmer days. Although courtyards are typical of Iranian architecture, they are not common in the north due to the tendency toward rain and more mild weather.

However, the inclusion of one in this design allows for more light to enter the home and the sea breeze to circulate throughout the interior. In the same way, rather than design an externally sloped roof typical of rainy climates, the roof in this design is upturned in order to provide better sea-viewing and allow lighter to enter. The four corners draw in toward the courtyard, where yet another feature unique for this area was added.

Combining the concepts of the Japanese onsen and the traditional Persian hoz, a protected, shallow pool for private use makes up one part of the courtyard. The sun’s path crosses directly over the court, making it the ideal space for soaking up the sun and cooling off undisturbed.





- Central courtyard in a humid, rainy climate
- Shallow private pool combining Japanese onsen and Iranian pool concepts
- Inverted roof slope to enhance sea views and natural light



The design maximizes natural ventilation and daylight, reducing energy use. Courtyards, gardens, and the pool create comfort while respecting the natural environment, integrating human experience with nature.


**Site scale**: Coastal plot with direct sea view and central courtyard
**Building scale:** Roof, iwan, and courtyard designed for light, ventilation, and views
**Human scale:** Terraces, courtyard, and pool enhance outdoor living and comfort
**Landscape scale:** Integration of courtyard, pool, and airflow to optimize environmental experience


Electrical Engineer

Site Supervisor

Ferdows Town

A series of separate gardens and terraces make this design a meditative getaway in this northern Iranian valley. The plot itself is wide at the meeting of the street, and bottlenecks as it moves away. In this way, the longer street-side wall adequately protects the privacy of the perpendicularly linear plot. Likewise, the levels of the villa and gardens themselves can be vertically focused as the land stretches further from the street on its north-south axis. The overall aim was to fully integrate all the elements of a traditional Persian house from iwan to various forms of gardens, such as baghcheh and sunken garden.





The design faced several challenges that shaped its final outcome. The elongated and narrowing plot required careful spatial organization to balance program and circulation. The dual slope of the land posed construction difficulties but was transformed into a design opportunity. Providing adequate natural light and ventilation was another challenge, addressed through orientation and openings. Finally, separating public and private spaces across different levels was essential to maintain comfort and privacy for the family.




On one side of the site, an entrance allowing cars to pass through a tunnel to the basement level garage was created. Red brick insulated walls suit the clay-infused earth of Tehran. The building itself is set back from the street-side wall, separated from it by the series of gardens and large hoz (garden pond) leading to the iwan (Persian-style patio) stretched out from the ground floor. The more private rooms are located on the upper floor, leaving the public spaces below to spill open to the garden. Cross ventilation through the structure and the surrounding yard was considered and designed as a passive cooling system. 


Overlooking the gardens and orchard to the front, a terrace baharkhab was included on the upper floor (an area designated for sleeping outdoors during warmer months). The gardens become the life of the villa, which sits centrally toward the back end of the property. Along one wall, space for a hanging garden was designed and along the opposite wall, a scented garden leads back to a traditional Persian “sunken garden” behind the house.



The project integrates several innovative architectural and environmental strategies. A combined passive ventilation system was developed, orienting the building along a north–south axis with large openings to the north and south while minimizing east–west exposure. The pool was strategically positioned to cool and humidify incoming breezes, enhancing thermal comfort. The two-story iwan blocks excessive summer sun yet allows winter sunlight to penetrate, while also improving airflow. The second-floor setback further strengthens shading and ventilation. Locally sourced traditional brickwork was reimagined with modern insulation methods, combining cultural heritage with energy-efficient technology.


The design introduces a green roof, a tunnel entrance for cars, and a pool that also improves passive cooling. Traditional elements like the iwan and sunken garden were reinterpreted for daylight and ventilation, while insulated walls and thermal-break windows enhance energy efficiency.


Respect for nature and people was at the core of the project. By adapting to the natural topography, the design minimized unnecessary earthwork and preserved the site’s integrity. The architecture integrates gardens, pools, a sunken courtyard, and a green roof, reinforcing the bond between built space and landscape. Sustainable materials such as recyclable brick and energy-efficient glazing reduce environmental impact. At the same time, the project revives elements of Iranian architectural identity, from mirrorwork and tilework to spatial hierarchy, strengthening cultural continuity while serving the needs of modern living.

The design carefully considers multiple scales, from the site to human experience. The elongated 1,590 m² plot with a dual slope influenced the building’s layout, minimizing excavation and integrating terraced gardens. The 1,395 m², three-story building balances public spaces on the ground floor with private areas above, while setbacks create circulation around the house. Human-scale elements, including terraces, the baharkhab, sunken courtyard, and gardens, enhance outdoor living and comfort. Architectural features like the double-height iwan, pool, and green roof serve both functional and environmental purposes, supporting daylight, ventilation, and leisure.


Brick House

**Project goals**

The project aims to redefine the landscape as a representation of the unique natural character of Hyrcanian forests in North Iran and to recognize the ecological and cultural values of the Golestan Region.
The Park is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Gholam-Ali Beski – a physician, humanist, and environmentalist.
The project overally tries to expand the limits of the designed landscape to a greater national and international milieu and act as a catalyst in the sustainable social and cultural development of the Golestan region and the natural preservation of the Hyrcanian forests.



- Raising awareness about hyrcanian forests
- Supporting the preservation of hyrcanian forest
- Hommage to Dr Beski
- Re-shaping the identity of Gonbad city
- Empowering local community


**Concept**

The Hyrcanian forests as a “global natural heritage is a key concept in the main design approach of this project. These forests, together with the regional, national, and international functions of the project will link the designed landscape into a larger human and natural ecosystem. 
The proposed plants for Beski Park are a combination of Hyrcanian species and non-native ornamental plants.
The project overally tries to expand the limits of the designed landscape to a greater national and international milieu and act as a catalyst in the sustainable social and cultural development of the Golestan region and the natural preservation of the Hyrcanian forests.

**Topography Development**

Topographical interventions on the site have created several hill-shaped areas which are vegetated with native plants of the region. The landforms shape a natural landscape. Each vegetated area is devoted to a unique “family of plants” that are usually found to live together in symbiosis in Hyrcanian forests. The planting concept adds both ecological and symbolic values to the park.
In shaping the project’s topography, we considered a range of design criteria and environmental factors:
- Views from inside to outside
- Natural landsacape and forest
- Defining relation of building and park
- Undergound water level and plantation consideration
- Human scale 
- Spatial organization within landscape

**Connection to site in different Scales**

We established multiple layers of connection with the city through various architectural and landscape strategies.

- Local scale: Restaurant, Music School, Playground, Shops...

- National & International scale:  Hyrcanian as a laboratory, Multifunctional Cultural Spaces




**Planting Plan**

The proposed plants for Beski Park are a combination of Hyrcanian species and non-native ornamental plants.
We envisioned a two-phase strategy for planting.
In the first phase, ornamental plants suitable for the climate of Gonbad were introduced. Over the course of six months, these ornamental species are intended to be gradually replaced with native vegetation from the Hyrcanian forests, ensuring both ecological compatibility and long-term resilience.

In the second phase, a variety of plant species gradually identified and collected from the Hyrcanian forests are introduced. These species are planted once the site has been prepared to provide suitable conditions for their growth.
By selecting plants of varying sizes and incorporating evergreens, views are carefully controlled, directing the gaze as much as possible from the street toward the interior of the site.
The process is estimated to take a maximum of six years.

The Hyrcanian plants needed for this project are currently being propagated in a nursery founded specifically for this project. 



Within the created topography, each hill is dedicated to one of the main plant families of the Hyrcanian forest.This approach gives each zone its own unique atmosphere and ecologycal calendar.
These families include the following six groups:

- Alnus
- Popula
- Acer
- Parrotia persica
- Gleditsia caspica
- Quercus






The building with a surface of 2000 m2 is a multi-functional space for cultural and recreational activities. It comprises three cinemas, a music school, an exhibition space for the biographical museum of Dr. Beski, a restaurant, a coffee shop, and two small shops. 
The Park with a surface of 15800m2 incorporates a plaza, a playground, picnic areas, and a reclusive space with a pond that creates a place for reflection and peace within the landscape.



Principle Architect

Ecology and Planting Consultant

Civil and Structural Engineer

Mechanical Engineer

under construction

Beski Park and Cultural Center

cultural

Park

The Morshedi Carpet Museum is located within the historic fabric of Kashan, one of Iran’s most renowned carpet-weaving centers. The project site was relatively small and embedded in the dense urban texture, creating unique design challenges. The solution was to expand the building downward, forming three underground levels organized around a central lightwell and a tree that grows through the heart of the museum. This tree, visible from all floors, symbolizes life and continuity while establishing a dialogue between architecture and nature. The exterior is constructed with kāhgel (traditional mud plaster), a local and sustainable material that evokes Kashan’s desert architecture and harmonizes with its historic context.


The client, Ali Morshedi—a prominent figure in Kashan’s carpet-weaving tradition—commissioned the project to preserve, exhibit, and narrate his family’s heritage and workshop productions. The primary concern was to create a space that would safeguard carpets as cultural treasures while presenting them to the public. The limited plot size and the need to combine exhibition, education, and storytelling functions within a compact setting posed the project’s key challenge.

The design is inspired by Kashan’s carpet motifs—such as medallion, corner, floral, and hunting patterns—as well as the logic of desert architecture. Vaults, domes, and lattice skylights are reinterpreted in the project to reinforce a sense of place rooted in Iranian identity. Circulation within the museum is intentionally open and non-linear, allowing visitors to shape personal journeys of discovery. The central tree and its natural light anchor the design, creating a distinct and human-centered spatial experience.
 



The museum is not only an exhibition space but also a platform for experience and education. A key innovation is the introduction of “Philosophical Carpets”—a contemporary concept intertwining patterns, poetry, and nature. Dedicated zones for weaving and dyeing enable visitors to engage with the creative process as well as the final product.


The museum introduces carefully designed display systems:
•	Anti-scratch, anti-reflective plexiglass showcases.
•	Velcro-based hanging methods to protect carpets.
•	Interactive touchscreens for engaging with motifs and colors.
•	Ancillary exhibits, including natural dye powders, yarns, and weaving tools, enriching the narrative.



The Morshedi Carpet Museum carries a social responsibility as a cultural hub: preserving one of Iran’s oldest crafts and passing it on to future generations. Educational and interactive sections for children and teenagers, family and school programs, and the retelling of Kashan’s carpet history all contribute to cultural enrichment and a deeper public connection with heritage.




The project operates across three design scales:
•	Urban scale: engaging with Kashan’s historic fabric and employing kāhgel, a vernacular desert material, in harmony with the local context.
•	Architectural scale: three underground levels are organized around a central lightwell and a tree that visually and spatially connects all floors.
•	Detail scale: showcasing the smallest elements of carpet-making—from yarn and natural dyes to weaving tools—so visitors can perceive the craft in layered depth.




Museum Curator

Idea

Morshedi Museum I

[A Cultural Hub, A Global Heritage Site]


In the large scale, the vision of this project is to promote the rebirth of Aleppo’s city center as a global heritage site. 
The site is located at the foot of the Citadel that embodies the heritage and identity of Aleppo. The area holds a huge potential to act as a vibrant cultural hub on a regional level. The city’s identity is forged by the overlapping layers of many different rich cultures that over the course of time has led to the creation of a rich urban space. Defying the physical boundaries, Aleppo can reach international exposure with its heritage.
In the longer run and after the reconstruction of the city, the plaza and the cultural center, together with the Citadel, the Souk and the historical monuments, will reshape the heart of Aleppo and its public spaces into a cultural gathering zone not only for the tourists but for the people of Aleppo.




The war in Aleppo has created a temporal gap and divided the time into two parts of “before” and “after” the war. To join these pieces there will be a need to create a “Space-Time” that serves as a transcultural spatial-temporal actor of change. 
The concept of Space-Time which is an interpretation of the Japanese Shinto Zen Buddhist concept of “Ma”, is introduced in architecture by Arata Isozaki and has been discussed in various art and cultural contexts. “Ma” refers to the gap/void between things, people and events through which these connect and build interrelations.



Above the ground level the project is a palm grove/plaza which forms a public urban space connecting with the pedestrian zones, the Citadel perimeter, the Souk and the historical monuments. The plaza will be the confluence of large-scale social gatherings in front of the Citadel. 
In the center of the plaza the “Mirror Courtyard” is designed as a memorial space to honor the memory of lost lives in the war. Under the ground level the project is a cultural center that incorporates art galleries, cinemas, a theater, children’s activity zone, a library, cultural shops, cafés, etc., forming a vibrant and active multifunctional space. 
The key idea is to create a place that belongs to everyone; to create a public space that re-gathers people from different social groups and forms a platform for “coexistence”. Also, we believe that the historical city center of Aleppo can be revitalized through a cultural approach. In a larger scale our project has the potential to act as a cultural hub that together with the Citadel, the Souk, the historical monuments and the open spaces will reinvigorate the city center.



[Co-Existence]


The project proposes the reshaping of one of the important sites of the city center of Aleppo into a plaza that re-gathers people for social and cultural interactions. The design concept is an urban void that shapes a transitional space where visitors can experience the continuity of time, from the past into the future.



[The Transition, The Timelessness]


The proposed design forms an urban plaza and a cultural center that gathers various social groups. An urban void full of potentials for people to create relations, build new collective memories and make place.
The geometry of design has a connection with the geometry of the Grand Serai building, previously located in the site. The void space of the old courtyard has formed the memorial space, and the main entrance is along the axis of the garden.
The Mirror Wall has an internal and external function: The outside reflects the ever-changing city, the Citadel and the dynamism of the vibrant public space. Over time it will reflect the process of reconstruction of the city and the movement from destruction to development and prosperity. The inside reflects the boundlessness of an unchanging space. This silent and meditative courtyard is “a timeless space” that encapsulates the memory of war.  On the inside walls the names of more than 30,000 victims of Aleppo war will be engraved. 



[The Fragility of Peace]


The city of Aleppo has witnessed many cycles of destruction and reconstruction throughout history. Over the time it’s been the scene of conflict, war, and crisis and each time it has passed through towards a richer future. The proposed architecture tries to stress the importance of remembering that the peace is fragile in its essence and needs to be protected and cared for to survive. The Mirror Wall – constantly reflecting the image of the city and its people – illustrates the dynamism and the movement of the city which can be from war to peace and from destruction to prosperity or vice versa.  At the same time the fragility of the mirror is a reminder of the delicacy of peace and invites the people to attend in its conservation. 
The portrait of the project overall represents nothing but people in a palm grove, which symbolically acknowledges the fact that although the city and the architecture might be ruined and reconstructed repeatedly, ultimately, it’s the reflection of how the people coexist with each other and their environment that builds the image and the identity of the city.



**Urban Scale **
The project reshapes one of the important sites of Aleppo city center into a public plaza, connecting with pedestrian zones, the Citadel, the Souk, and other historical monuments.
It acts as a cultural hub at a regional scale, revitalizing the city center and linking multiple historical layers.
**Human Scale **
The plaza and “Mirror Courtyard” are designed for large social gatherings while remaining accessible and intimate for individuals and small groups.
The ground-level palm grove/plaza is intended to allow people to reclaim civic space and experience coexistence.
**Functional/Operational Scale **
Underground cultural center includes art galleries, cinemas, theater, children’s activity zones, library, cultural shops, cafés, forming a multifunctional space that supports diverse cultural activities.
The “Mirror Wall” has both external and internal scales: it interacts with the city scale outside and creates a meditative, timeless interior scale for remembrance.
**Temporal Scale **
The design bridges the temporal void caused by war, linking past, present, and future through the concept of “urban void” and “space-time”.
It allows continuity of memory and social interaction across generations.


Co-existence

Public Realm

Saman Mansion is located just one block from Enghelab Street, one of the most significant streets in Tehran and Iran. Over the decades, Enghelab has served as a stage for countless artistic, cultural, and social movements, shaping the city’s identity. Built during the same period as the street itself, Saman Mansion shares in this historical context. Its proximity to Enghelab has woven the mansion into the street’s vibrant flow of life, making it more than a building—an inseparable part of Tehran’s living history.

Saman Mansion is a historical building with a legacy of nearly 100 years, located in an affluent district of old Tehran. Based on field surveys, archival research, and analysis of aerial photographs from 1940 (1319 SH) and 1956 (1335 SH), it is likely that the building was constructed between 1921 and 1961 (1300–1340 SH). This period is recognized as the "Middle Period of Contemporary Iranian Architecture," reflecting the influence of modernity on Iranian architectural practice.

Originally built as a private residence, the mansion was later repurposed. In the 1960s and 1970s (1340s and 1350s SH), it served as the office for KSB Company, a firm active in the field of large-scale water treatment infrastructure and the import of German industrial equipment. Subsequently, the building came under the ownership of Saman Bank.

Architectural features such as its three-story structure with a semi-basement level, high ceilings, reinforced concrete construction, and the distinctive circular room on the middle floor have drawn the attention of architects and researchers alike. Preliminary studies suggest that the building was likely designed by foreign architects—possibly German or Italian—and its structure shows influences from ship forms and decks.

The mansion’s courtyard once included a lush garden and a water basin, which have since been replaced by asphalt paving and a temporary roof structure.

Saman Mansion stands as a symbol of the interaction between Iranian architecture and foreign influences in the contemporary era, highlighting its unique status in the architectural and social history of Tehran.




Following an evaluation of the building’s potential, the architectural design of Saman Mansion was developed with the aim of introducing cultural and research-oriented functions. The design process included preparing the project’s physical program, analyzing required functions, exploring vertical circulation options, and organizing spatial arrangements.

**Spatial Layout:**
Second Basement Level: Dedicated to a studio and sound recording room.

First Basement Level: Includes public spaces such as a multi-purpose hall and an art shop, both with direct access to the courtyard.

Ground Floor and First Floor: Allocated for public and private exhibition spaces.

Art Storage Vault: Located beneath the courtyard with appropriate security and access control measures.

Added Second Floor: Contains administrative offices for managers and staff.

Complementary Facilities:
Courtyard and Café: A green garden stretching from south to north, with the restoration of the original water basin and an open-air café offering a calm and inviting atmosphere.

Security Room, Caretaker's Unit, Public Restrooms, and Storage: Designed to ensure comprehensive support services for the complex.

Key Spatial Features:
Northern Corridor: Enriched with a green wall and climbing plants, creating a refreshing and immersive experience.

Conversation Room: A circular room at the heart of the building, designed as a reflective and contemplative space, lit through distinctive openings.

Galleries: Preserving the historic character of the mansion while providing optimal lighting, acoustics, cooling, and heating for art exhibitions.

Art Shop: Located in the former kitchen, featuring a vaulted brick ceiling and a tranquil interior design.

Multi-purpose Hall: Equipped with foldable seating, acoustic panels, and curtains for sound and light control.

Design Objective:
To create a distinctive environment that preserves the historical authenticity of the building while meeting the cultural, research, and social needs of its visitors and users.



The renovation and strengthening of Saman Mansion utilizes a modern and innovative method that significantly departs from traditional structural reinforcement techniques. Key features include:

Instead of conventional concrete ties and steel frames, carbon fiber (FRCM) and alkali-resistant fiberglass mesh (ARFM) are used in the form of surface-mounted strips on structural walls.

This method minimizes physical intervention and damage to the original historic fabric, maintaining architectural integrity.

Structural elements are integrated seamlessly with architectural components, ensuring spatial harmony while enhancing seismic performance.

As a lightweight, flexible, and non-invasive approach, this method represents a new engineering strategy for retrofitting historic buildings, balancing preservation with performance.




The technical upgrade of Saman Mansion includes several modern systems and devices, installed to enhance both function and compatibility with the historic building. These include:

Carbon fiber and fiberglass mesh for seismic strengthening.

A VRF system for cooling and heating in the basement levels, and ducted split units in the upper floors, selected for their low visual and acoustic impact.

A rooftop AirWasher unit supplying fresh air through ducts aligned along the western façade.

SuperVent one-way valves for the venting system, reducing the need for visible vent pipes and minimizing wall damage.

Upgraded electrical panels and lighting systems, suitable for cultural functions.

New plumbing and cabling, with vertical risers designed to preserve the structure and ensure maintenance access.

These systems allow the building to meet contemporary technical standards while preserving its architectural character and historic integrity.


The adaptive reuse of Saman Mansion as a cultural and research center reflects a strong social responsibility toward heritage preservation and civic engagement. The project contributes to society by:

Conserving and revitalizing a significant architectural example from the transitional period of Iranian architecture.

Providing inclusive, public access to spaces for exhibitions, cultural events, research, and gatherings.

Supporting urban regeneration in a historic neighborhood through preservation rather than demolition.

Raising public awareness about the value of architectural heritage and promoting long-term stewardship of historical assets.




The design and interventions in the Saman Mansion project are carefully scaled in response to both human experience and urban context:

The site is located just beyond the historical city wall near Dowlat Gate, within a culturally significant part of north Tehran.

The functional scale of interior spaces is adapted to serve a balanced combination of exhibition, public, and administrative uses without overwhelming the original form.

The limited vertical extension (second-floor addition) and reprogramming of the basement levels maintain a respectful dialogue between historical architecture and new use.

The courtyard redesign considers social and interactive dimensions, transforming it into a public landscape for cultural exchange, relaxation, and community interaction.




Saman Gallery

The project occupies a 469.56 m² plot in Golestan Town, Tehran. Situated within a relatively dense urban context, the design required careful spatial organization. The entrance was placed along the central axis of the site, while the two main volumes were arranged to the east and west. The brick façade combined with wooden shutters reflects a simple yet deeply rooted vocabulary of Iranian architecture.




Usually, in most of the designs that are assigned to a land with this area, access is from one side of the building and each unit is located on the same floor. Here, as seen in the diagrams, the entrance is located in the center of the earth, and the two boys' units are located in the west and east of the earth. The mother and father’s duplex unit is built on the second and third floors around a central main space with a brick dome that shines indirectly. The adjacent spaces of this main space are opened together.
The third floor is surrounded by a domed space and consists of a corridor, two bedrooms and a studio. The studio opens from the south to a porch and from the north to a dome space. Natural light has been created for all spaces. In the basement, a crack in the ceiling fills the pool area with soft light.
In the dome room and the library, the porch and the toilet, space and light create peace. Light, space and spatial arrangement can create a better coexistence.


The design is inspired by the coexistence and embracing of three spaces together. The house is located in district 22 in an alley where each piece of land has its own personality and shows itself. On the other hand, this house, with a simple brick facade and wooden shutters, shows a house for a rooted family.
At the entrance of the house, a small pool welcomes you and you enter the boys' houses from both sides, which go up from the ground floor to the first floor, and have one bedroom on the ground floor and one bedroom on the first floor. The effort in the design was to have two duplexes for the boys to have access to the mother and father's duplex from within themselves, which has been made possible by installing two inside each of the units towards the parent's duplex.


The design is inspired by the concept of “One House, Two Generations, Three Units.” In section, three duplex volumes interlock: two duplexes for the sons on either side of the entrance courtyard, and one duplex for the parents above. At the core lies a central brick dome, illuminated by indirect light, functioning as a shared spatial heart that opens to the library and surrounding rooms. The entrance pond and carefully placed skylights bring tranquility and continuity throughout.



•	A brick dome with indirect lighting as the central spatial element.
•	Movable wooden shutters enabling light and ventilation control.
•	A roof slit illuminating the basement pool with natural light.
•	A material palette of brick, wood, and turquoise tiles creating a contemporary yet rooted atmosphere.



This project redefines multi-generational housing within Iran’s contemporary urban fabric. Its design promotes values of coexistence, respecting individual independence while reinforcing family bonds. The use of vernacular materials such as brick and wood recalls traditional Iranian architecture, offering a model for reconnecting modern residential design with cultural roots.



•	Urban scale: A modest brick volume within the Golestan Town context, reinforcing local identity.
•	Architectural scale: Three duplexes organized around a central domed space.
•	Detail scale: Wooden shutters, turquoise tiling, and lighting details enrich the human experience of the home.



One House, Two Generations, Three Units

Considering the historical and cultural importance of the Golestan region and the great historical heritage of this region, Golestan Museum is being built as a provincial museum in Gonbad-e Kavus city, and it includes the complete parts of a museum with the highest standard, which is used for preservation and protection, restoration of works, study and research. It will play a pivotal and central role in an important part of the historical land of Iran in the works and its presentation to the audience. The definition of this project in the city of Gonbad-e Kavus will have a significant impact on the growth of tourism in this city and other cities in the region on a national and global scale, and therefore the connection between the museum and the city and the site plays an important role in its design.
The museum building has been designed with an area of 7600 square meters on a 2-hectare land adjacent to the 5-hectare Dariush Park. The occupation area of the building is about 4500 square meters and the museum area covers an area of more than 15 thousand square meters, most of which has vegetation of various trees, especially eldar pine trees. The significant area and the proximity and direct connection of the site with a city park have given great importance to the landscape design of this complex. Designing the area of the museum building with public and cultural use is also considered an important issue in the design of such a collection because the landscape and open space will play a significant role in strengthening and defining the relationship of the audience with the collection. In fact, the museum area is an inseparable part of the museum building and it is the totality of the building and the area that defines the relationship of the museum with the city and with the audience as a single set. The governing approach to Golestan museum design is to consider the open space as an extension of the museum building and to try to combine architecture and landscape as much as possible in the complex.



According to the high volume of historical monuments discovered in the region and the value and greatness of the province's treasures and the lack of standard and sufficient reservoirs in the province, at the request of the Department of Cultural Heritage Museums, the reservoir section has been designed with a significant area of 1700 square meters, which includes storage reservoirs and sections restoration, quarantine, laboratory and research department. The administrative section is designed with a separate entrance in the southeast part of the site and in connection with the staff parking lot and the tank dock. The only part of the museum that is more than one floor high is the storage and administration part, which is designed on three floors.
It is possible to experience the garden from inside the building through the outdoor space of the coffee shop, which is a large terrace that is opened in front of the collection of towering pine trees on the site. The history of Gorgan region is inextricably linked with its special geography, the Turkmen Sahara plain and the Hyrkani forest of Golestan, and paying attention to the geographical features of the region, which has national and global value, can play an important role in introducing it to the audience. Based on this, in the design of the green space of the Golestan Museum, it is preferred to use native trees of the Golestan region, and it has been tried to create capacities to introduce the nature and ecosystem of the region to the audience by using these trees as much as possible. It is obvious that the climatic and operational restrictions such as the height of the site above sea level, the high level of underground water in the site and the presence of non-native trees on the ground, etc., make the selection of trees face limitations, but ultimately with this approach and considering all the requirements of green space design, appropriate and compatible plant species have been selected and used in garden design.



One of the sources of inspiration for the architectural design of the museum has been the way the space is formed and divided in the rural houses of Gorgan. The museum building has 4 main parts including public, exhibition, administrative and storage spaces. The public area, including the meeting hall and coffee shop, has been designed in such a way that it can be accessed and used when the exhibition parts of the museum are closed. The main spaces and galleries are formed around the central space of the yard in specific forms. The form of the building on its outer edge provides the possibility of penetration of the green space into the wall of the building with depressions and in this way the area and the building are interwoven. At the same time, the green space has penetrated into the building through patios in different parts of the building.
The exhibition section includes 5 galleries that introduce the historical periods of Gorgan region. These galleries are: "Four Climates and Legends", "Old Settlements and Historic City of Jurjan", "Gorgan Wall and Silence of Jurjan", "Estarabad, Road and Migration" and "Rainbow of People and these days’ Golestan"



The main idea in designing the site is to create openings in the green space that are connected to each other by defined paths. The formation and placement of these spatial centers is based on the distribution and density of existing trees. The museum building is located in a part of the site that has the lowest density of trees. The main opening in the site is a circular form that forms the central courtyard of the museum. The museum building is built on one floor around this courtyard. This circular form, which defines an empty space in the middle of the project, is the heart of the architectural and landscape space in which the entrance of the museum is located. In the entrance yard, a brick wall with a height of 10 meters will be built from the remaining bricks from the historical wall of Jurjan, which will be the main object of the museum in the entrance area and will be freely accessible and visited by the public. A gallery related to the historical part of Jurjan Wall has also been formed along this wall.
The idea of building this symbolic wall and collecting historical bricks emphasizes the use of people's participation in the construction process, which will be effective in increasing people's sense of belonging and recognizing the historical values of the region.




The Golestan Grand Museum introduces innovative design elements that blend architecture and landscape: a circular central courtyard, a symbolic 10-meter brick wall from the historical Gorgan Wall, integrated green spaces through patios and depressions, a large coffee shop terrace overlooking native pine trees, and a specialized storage and preservation section with restoration, quarantine, laboratory, and research facilities.



Golestan Museum emphasizes cultural sustainability and public engagement: involving the public in building the symbolic wall to strengthen cultural awareness, preserving and restoring historical artifacts, using native trees to educate visitors about the region’s ecosystem, and providing publicly accessible open spaces for cultural and educational interaction.



The Golestan Grand Museum is designed with careful attention to scale, creating a harmonious relationship with its surroundings. The building covers 7,600 m² on a 2-hectare site, while the total museum area, including gardens and open spaces, exceeds 15,000 m². Its footprint allows for abundant green spaces that blend seamlessly with the architecture. The museum sits beside the 5-hectare Dariush Park, connecting the cultural site to the city. The storage and preservation section, spanning 1,700 m² over three floors, provides ample space for safely housing and studying the region’s rich collection of artifacts.

Golestan Museum

The design of the Anjir Residential Complex is situated on a non-divided plot of land measuring 24,339 square meters, approximately 350 meters from the northern shore of Abu Musa Island. The site coverage accounts for 22% of the total land area, with a building density of 80%, while 40% of the site is dedicated to open and interstitial spaces.
This project, adopting a holistic approach to climatic, ecological, economic, and cultural aspects, draws inspiration from the concept of the Persian Chaharbagh. It not only seeks to express physical beauty and spatial harmony in architecture and urban design but also serves as a symbol of the connection between nature and spirituality in the way of living.

One of the main challenges of the project was to align the design criteria of the houses with the local climate and the competition’s requirements. Another key consideration was the placement of buildings and access routes to ensure proper air circulation throughout the site, allowing the sea breeze to flow inland and prevent humidity accumulation. Additional challenges included providing adequate parking, ensuring a reliable water supply for residents and green spaces, utilizing solar energy, and strategically positioning photovoltaic panels to generate part of the project’s electricity. Moreover, the selection of plant species compatible with the island’s climate and low water requirements was a crucial aspect of the landscape design, promoting environmental sustainability and efficient use of natural resources.

Adopting a holistic approach to the climatic, ecological, economic, and cultural dimensions, and inspired by the Persian Chaharbagh concept, this design goes beyond the mere expression of architectural and urban harmony. It stands as a symbol of the connection between nature, humanity, and spirituality within contemporary living.

The design process draws inspiration from the Persian Chaharbagh concept and adopts a holistic approach to climate, ecology, culture, and local economy. Spatial organization is conceived to enhance the interaction between people and nature, using vernacular principles such as shade, courtyards, and intermediate spaces to balance interior and exterior realms. Throughout the process, environmental sustainability and the use of localized materials and construction techniques serve as the core principles of the design philosophy.

This project introduces a new concept of island living, structured around the Chaharbagh spatial system and utilizing lightweight, prefabricated, and nature-reversible structures. This method not only reduces construction time and environmental impact but also enables flexibility in housing typologies and optimization of natural ventilation and energy use. The integration of greywater recycling, surface water collection, and a design approach responsive to wind and solar potential further defines the project’s innovative sustainability system.


The project incorporates new elements, objects, and tools that enhance environmental and spatial quality while preserving the island’s vernacular identity. These include lightweight prefabricated structures with eco-reversible properties, moisture-resistant façades with calculated thermal transfer coefficients adapted to the island’s climate, and photovoltaic panels for solar energy generation. Additionally, the use of movable woven canopies in the seasonal marketplace and shaded transitional spaces introduces innovative tools aimed at improving thermal comfort and promoting climatic sustainability within the design.

The landscape design of the project allocates over 30% of the total site area to open, intermediate, communal, and shared spaces, emphasizing the planting and maintenance of native and climate-adapted species such as fig, palm, neem, musk, almond, and tecoma. The project utilizes the existing desalination systems, incorporates surface water collection during cooler seasons, and introduces a greywater recycling cycle to promote sustainable resource use and encourage a culture of environmental awareness among residents. In line with the competition’s requirements and to foster a sense of vitality and belonging, a seasonal market with movable woven shading is placed along the main Chaharbagh axis, culminating in a viewing platform that frames the island’s natural scenery.

The project embraces a socially responsible approach focused on enhancing quality of life and fostering environmental awareness among the island’s residents. Through the design of shared open spaces, pedestrian paths, and a seasonal marketplace, it encourages social interaction, collective learning, and a sense of responsibility toward nature. The use of sustainable resources, water management systems, and climate-responsive design serves not only as a strategy for sustainability but also as a cultural tool for improving community awareness and lifestyle.

The design operates across multiple scales of consideration, balancing human proportions, island climate, and site organization. Spatial planning ensures harmony between residential units, open spaces, and the central Chaharbagh axis, while allowing a gradual and intuitive spatial perception from private to communal realms. This approach establishes a human-centered yet climate-responsive scale, fostering a sense of coherence between individual life, community interaction, and the natural environment.

Principal Architecture

Ecology

Urban planning consultants

Anjir Residential Town

Hypothetical location of the site is the Kashan region and outside the urban context. Altitude is 1000 meters above sea level.
Sitting on the edge of the desert, this villa connects to the landscape through panoramic views, witnessing the passage of time at the rhythm set by nature: extended horizon, the dry, silence, the sizzling sun; deep shadows and ivory white light.
The main challenge is maintaining the indoor temperature while providing air circulation throughout the building, considering the need for insulation due to extreme, fluctuating temperatures.




“Villa in the Desert" is a prototype of a villa in the deserts of Iran.
A large part of the Iranian plateau has arid climate. Many areas in these landscapes are estimated to be uninhabitable according to today’s environmental assessment methods; yet, the history of civilization in these areas goes back for thousands of years. Throughout history, Iranians have responded to sustainable design challenges in Iran's diverse climates by providing various types of architecture that have evolved over time in this territory. In the desert, these responses are mainly represented in the form of introvert architecture with central courtyards.
“Villa in the desert” responds to the challenges of desert dwelling with simple, modern language while adapting itself to its environment like a living organism. 



A block-like shape defines the exterior of the design, where concentric layers of materials appropriately insulate the walls according to their location relative to the sun. This concept of layering in the external skin manifests as a glass house in a mud shell. At the east, south and west façade, the outer wall, made of rammed earth, is pierced by small variable openings. The middle layer is a covered corridor And the inside wall is made of movable glass louvers. The north wall is framed by large glass openings.

Sitting on a north-south axis, the building can be configured to make the most of an east-west airflow while avoiding direct rays of the sun inside. 
Like a nomadic tent woven from goat wool the mud wall lets the light pierce through small openings showering the dark space with shafts of light in which you see the dance of particles. 
The hot desert wind passing through the openings reaches the shadowed area, cools down, and then it is dragged through the moving louver windows inside. 
Ventilation is created on both the eastern and western perforated walls, pulling the air through a corridor passing across and out the interior courtyard, cooled by the greenery there. 
The central space itself with its curved ceiling and open plan design is bathed in the lights coming in through the central courtyard.
Three major openings frame large views extending to the infinite: The south Iwan , the north entrance bay window looking into the north yard, and the light-well of the central courtyard which opens towards the sky.


**Layered Skin:** On the southern façade, successive layers of mud and glass are applied to optimize thermal insulation and solar control. This system allows the house to adapt to its harsh desert environment like a living organism. On the northern side, where there is no direct sunlight, wider openings are possible, and the temperature difference between sun and shade naturally enhances air circulation.
**
Water–Wind Combination:** Warm desert winds are guided through shaded areas and across a water channel, enabling natural cooling. This strategy provides a sustainable alternative to energy-intensive mechanical systems.

**Natural Daylighting through Small Openings:** Inspired by nomadic tents, the mud walls are punctuated with small apertures that allow filtered light to enter. These shafts of light create a poetic interplay of brightness and shadow, enriching the spatial experience.

**Adaptive Architecture:** The cubic modern form of the building is combined with traditional elements such as the Iwan, central courtyard, and thick walls. This synthesis produces an architecture that is at once contemporary, vernacular, and sustainable.

In the design of the Desert Villa, social responsibility has been considered as a fundamental aspect of the project. This approach is reflected in respecting the desert climate and natural context, optimizing natural light and ventilation, and reducing energy consumption. Moreover, inspiration from vernacular architectural elements such as the Iwan and the central courtyard not only creates a cultural bridge between past and present but also signifies a commitment to preserving local identity and enhancing the quality of life in harmony with the surrounding environment.

Villa in the Desert

## Light, Life, and the Spirit of the Sun

In the heart of this work lies a dialogue between light and memory.
The “Sun Lady” is more than an image — she is a symbol of life, warmth, and rebirth.
Inspired by the eternal presence of the sun in Persian art and poetry, this piece reflects the philosophy of architecture as coexistence:
to create with love, to return beauty to the earth, and to let art breathe within architecture.

## Collaborative Creation

For Firouz Firouz, architecture is never a solitary act.
Each project becomes a meeting point for artists, artisans, and materials —
a shared process of creation.
The “Sun Lady” was painted by Noormiyan Manouchehri, whose brush brought the spirit of the sun to life on paper.
Later, Bahareh Khamiri, with the artist’s collaboration, transferred every layer of this painting onto ceramic tiles —
a gesture of respect toward the handcraft tradition that bridges art and architecture.

## Technique and Process

The mural was painted layer by layer, glazed multiple times, and fired in the kiln —
each stage revealing a deeper luminosity.
The surface carries both the precision of craftsmanship and the spontaneity of painting,
capturing movement in stillness and light in texture.
It’s not just ceramic — it’s a living skin that absorbs and reflects the surrounding light.

## Integration within Architecture

Installed by the poolside, the mural mirrors itself in the still water,
creating a dialogue between reflection and reality.
The turquoise and gold tones echo the geometry of the pool tiles,
while the vertical cypresses rise like silent guardians of light.
Here, architecture does not host art — it becomes one with it.
The mural breathes with the space, changing with daylight and shadow.

## Philosophy: The Art of Coexistence

 architecture is an act of love — a space where art, material, and nature live in harmony.
“The Sun Lady” is a reminder that beauty emerges when disciplines meet,
when architecture listens to painting,
and when the earth is invited to speak through craft.
It is not decoration; it is a manifestation of unity —
between sun and shadow, water and wall, art and life.

Painter

Ceramic Artist

Khorshid khanoom

## Context & Initial Reading of the Building

To understand a city, one must walk through its back alleys.
Every building carries fragments of history — color, material, light, shadow, memory.
The existing house, located in Karim Khan, still retained its architectural identity and remained habitable prior to renovation.
The first reading suggested that the building did not require reinvention, but a careful continuation.
The design approach therefore leaned toward “designing without redesigning” — keeping what deserved to remain, allowing the building to speak for itself, and adapting it softly to its new life as a gallery.


## Design Strategy: Preservation Over Replacement


Instead of imposing a new architectural language, the project sought to reveal the existing character.
Original elements were preserved wherever possible — the brickwork, the stair and railing details, the mature cypress in the courtyard.
The goal was not to overwrite history, but to extend it, giving the building a second narrative without erasing the first.

## Structural Reinforcement & Spatial Reorganization



Technically, the existing masonry structure required reinforcement for its new public function.
Three shear walls and seven foundation piles were executed to strengthen the building.
Some internal partitions were removed to create depth, continuity, and open spatial flow appropriate for exhibition.
The result was a structure that remained true to itself — but more stable, more silent, more capable of hosting art.

## Dual Access & Urban Interface



The project was given two entrances, each with a different urban relationship:

Side Entrance (Jamal Alley): Clad in traditional two-tone brick Ablagh, echoing the shared architectural memory of the neighborhood.

Main Entrance (Shiroudi Street): Finished in travertine, where the fifty-year-old cypress stands as a natural landmark and symbol of permanence.

This dual access creates a dialogue between city, gallery, and garden.

## From House to Gallery: Light, Silence, Display



With the change of function, most windows were closed to create controlled exhibition walls,
except for the opening aligned with the cypress — a framed view that preserves memory and directs the eye to what mattered most.
The building became a space of light moderation, visual focus, and calm display —
a domestic space transformed, yet still gentle, familiar, and rooted.

## Façade, Vegetation & Landscape Memory


The courtyard vegetation — same age as the house — became part of the architectural identity.
The aim was to bring the garden to the façade, allowing greenery to reclaim the building.
Existing climbing plants (Wisteria & Jasmine) were retained as primary façade elements, supplemented with Dutch Jasmine to accelerate growth.
Here, the greenery is not decorative — it is history made visible.

## Simplicity, Authenticity, Continuity



In the end, our decision was a simple one:
the building should remain what it always was — understated, honest, enduring.
The old staircase and railings, the two-tone brick, the travertine, the cypress and the pomegranate tree…
all were preserved so the house could tell its story again, dressed in a new skin.

This project was not an effort to change the building’s identity,
but to let its life continue.